Just checking out that Aurora game.....looks like my cup of tea....thought I might be able to play it on my netbook....though not sure if it will work....looks extremely detailed...like some real sci fi simulator rather than a game..
..................20 mins later.......................
Well that was mind bogeling....hhhmmm....haven't a clue where to start and what todo....not even sure if the game is playing or in pause or what I hould be doing with that mass of info...still I can tell something as detailed as this must be awesome once you understand it.
Aruroa free game
Moderator: maddog986
-
PunkReaper
- Posts: 1003
- Joined: Wed Aug 23, 2006 6:27 pm
- Location: England
RE: Aruroa free game
Ok sorry must be thick but can't find the game... any clues?
RE: Aruroa free game
ORIGINAL: wodin
Just checking out that Aurora game.....looks like my cup of tea....thought I might be able to play it on my netbook....though not sure if it will work....looks extremely detailed...like some real sci fi simulator rather than a game..
..................20 mins later.......................
Well that was mind bogeling....hhhmmm....haven't a clue where to start and what todo....not even sure if the game is playing or in pause or what I hould be doing with that mass of info...still I can tell something as detailed as this must be awesome once you understand it.
Print out the tutorials and run through them. And, they only scratch the surface.
And read the Mechanics and Academy forums. Again, and again, and again. The detail in the game is staggering.
This will help some.
http://aurorawiki.pentarch.org/index.ph ... =Main_Page
Watched a documentary on beavers. Best dam documentary I've ever seen.
RE: Aruroa free game
Downloading now to take a look... the "VisualBasic-esque" graphics are really not my cup of tea, so we'll have to see what happens. Also, trying to get my sig pic to work.
RE: Aruroa free game
I learned the game by reading the game designer's fictional story/AARs and trying to copy his game, including research, ship and component design, etc. Of course events didn't always work out as they did in his games, but I enjoyed every step along the way! The stories are tremendous and really give you a flavor for the possibilities...
LINK: http://aurora.pentarch.org/viewforum.php?f=60
Make sure you visit the main forum index and check the FAQ, Academy, Mechanics, Rules, Bureau of Ship Design, ... ah heck, just check them all! [:D]
There's a simple answer to every complex question - and it's wrong.
-Umberto Eco
-Umberto Eco
RE: Aurora free game
For those interested in Aurora, I clipped the following post from the Wargamer forums:
I will play devil's advocate for you. I love Aurora but have no interest in DW. Aurora is spreadsheet heavy thats for sure...but its all about realism. When I look at the "Harpoon" style command screen, I imagine that I am, a commander in my flag ship looking at my combat display. Since this is what you would see if you were in a modern navy ship in combat, it suits me fine.
As for the rest of the game, its great because it allows you to do anything...and design anything. There is no game out there that allows so much control over designs. For example: I built a small frigate to patrol and harass enemy shipping. I wanted beams for offense (not much help against warships due to the range you have to get to to use them (50,000 Km or so) and missles for defense against enemy missles. I also wanted a guass cannon for CIWS work...Combat takes place at about 1 million Kms so I have a layered defense.
I had to design the missle itself, the warhead size, size of the missle, engine type, maneuverability, ECCM packages. ..then I had to buld a stockpile of missles. Then I had to design the magazine and launcher. How fast is reload? is the magazine armored? etc. Then I design the fire control system. It has to have the right type of sensors to detect missles and the right range. All that just for the missles. Then for beams you need to design a turret with sufficient gears for tracking, a powerplant that creates enough energy to power...but not too much, plus a different type of fire control. Then build the ship...crew quarters, engines, different sensor types...the more you put on, the more maintenance failures,,,blah, blah, blah.
The best thing? After all of that...it may not work!!! I built a huge cruiser that cost a ton and took forever to build. Took it into combat and got smoked. Why? I only had one fire control for 6 missle launchers so it could not track enough missles to keep up with enemy salvoes. My Gauss system was tied to the beam weapon (by mistake...yes, you have to assign fire control to different weapons once the ship is launched) so that was a mess.
I wanted to build a MARINE LANDING CRAFT. So I built this huge ship carrying a battalion of marines. Went to atack an enemy planet and whilelanding marines, had it blown apart by enemy planetary defense. So, I built a "drop ship" for about a company of marines. Now I plan to send them to combat drop onto the planet and destroy the PDC...then I can land the rest. I can also use them to combat drop onto disabled enemy ships to capture them.
You have the freedom to design ANYTHING........ and it can fail! You wont know until you take it into combat
The last point is that I can design any universe I want. I designed an "Honorverse" because I wanted to play out Honor HArrington books. I created a MAnticore, Republic of Haven, etc. I set up appropriate races on each planet and connected them with jump points. Then I played it. TOTAL CONTROL
I personally dont like space combat game where ships are flying around 500 yards from eachother firing lasers like a WWII dogfight. to me, AURORA is as realistic a space combat game as you can get (assuming a game about something that isnt real can be "realistic but you get the point)
ALLLLLL that said. I see why people dont like Aurora and DO like games like Sins or DW. To each his own.
"Be polite. Be professional. But have a plan to kill everyone you meet"
-General Mattis (USMC)
Due to Distant World stirring up 4x excitement. The subject of Aurora came up over in the Matrix forums. So I decided to download the latest version and try it out. Man, it's like playing a spreadsheet. Lots of data and details, very little 'game'. It's so dry I was falling asleep within the first 30 mins. How can this even be compared to Armada or Distant World? What's the point of all that data when their is no payoff (ie. battles in space, etc.). The game really needs some graphics to spice things up.
I will play devil's advocate for you. I love Aurora but have no interest in DW. Aurora is spreadsheet heavy thats for sure...but its all about realism. When I look at the "Harpoon" style command screen, I imagine that I am, a commander in my flag ship looking at my combat display. Since this is what you would see if you were in a modern navy ship in combat, it suits me fine.
As for the rest of the game, its great because it allows you to do anything...and design anything. There is no game out there that allows so much control over designs. For example: I built a small frigate to patrol and harass enemy shipping. I wanted beams for offense (not much help against warships due to the range you have to get to to use them (50,000 Km or so) and missles for defense against enemy missles. I also wanted a guass cannon for CIWS work...Combat takes place at about 1 million Kms so I have a layered defense.
I had to design the missle itself, the warhead size, size of the missle, engine type, maneuverability, ECCM packages. ..then I had to buld a stockpile of missles. Then I had to design the magazine and launcher. How fast is reload? is the magazine armored? etc. Then I design the fire control system. It has to have the right type of sensors to detect missles and the right range. All that just for the missles. Then for beams you need to design a turret with sufficient gears for tracking, a powerplant that creates enough energy to power...but not too much, plus a different type of fire control. Then build the ship...crew quarters, engines, different sensor types...the more you put on, the more maintenance failures,,,blah, blah, blah.
The best thing? After all of that...it may not work!!! I built a huge cruiser that cost a ton and took forever to build. Took it into combat and got smoked. Why? I only had one fire control for 6 missle launchers so it could not track enough missles to keep up with enemy salvoes. My Gauss system was tied to the beam weapon (by mistake...yes, you have to assign fire control to different weapons once the ship is launched) so that was a mess.
I wanted to build a MARINE LANDING CRAFT. So I built this huge ship carrying a battalion of marines. Went to atack an enemy planet and whilelanding marines, had it blown apart by enemy planetary defense. So, I built a "drop ship" for about a company of marines. Now I plan to send them to combat drop onto the planet and destroy the PDC...then I can land the rest. I can also use them to combat drop onto disabled enemy ships to capture them.
You have the freedom to design ANYTHING........ and it can fail! You wont know until you take it into combat
The last point is that I can design any universe I want. I designed an "Honorverse" because I wanted to play out Honor HArrington books. I created a MAnticore, Republic of Haven, etc. I set up appropriate races on each planet and connected them with jump points. Then I played it. TOTAL CONTROL
I personally dont like space combat game where ships are flying around 500 yards from eachother firing lasers like a WWII dogfight. to me, AURORA is as realistic a space combat game as you can get (assuming a game about something that isnt real can be "realistic but you get the point)
ALLLLLL that said. I see why people dont like Aurora and DO like games like Sins or DW. To each his own.
"Be polite. Be professional. But have a plan to kill everyone you meet"
-General Mattis (USMC)
There's a simple answer to every complex question - and it's wrong.
-Umberto Eco
-Umberto Eco
RE: Aurora free game
And it's FREE!!!!!
Watched a documentary on beavers. Best dam documentary I've ever seen.
RE: Aurora free game
Interesting. So, Aurora sounds great for anyone interested in being a space schematic engineer. Can all those things you mention be automated like in Distant Worlds?
I'm not meaning to seem antagonistic if that's how it sounds.
Though, I dislike jump/warp points with no free, space/between stars, movement.
The battles in Distant Worlds seem fast because the time is ticking away in DAYS every couple seconds. The time counter is [Year.Month.Day] The speed can be paused, sped up, or slowed down. It can be slowed down to be similiar to the battles someone might prefer. If slowed down, the ships move slower on screen, the shots move slower, the day counter ticks slower. A slowed down battle in Distant Worlds can seem more epic if that's what someone prefers.
Basically, Distant Worlds is FUN!
I think that's what games should be; since games are entertainment. Of course, everyone has their own opinion of what is fun. To each his own.
Everyone is welcome to come see screen shots, videos, and ask questions on the Distant Worlds forum.
http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tt.asp?forumid=782 (forum)
http://www.matrixgames.com/products/379/details/Distant.Worlds (publisher site)
http://codeforce.co.nz/ (developer site)
I'm not meaning to seem antagonistic if that's how it sounds.
Though, I dislike jump/warp points with no free, space/between stars, movement.
The battles in Distant Worlds seem fast because the time is ticking away in DAYS every couple seconds. The time counter is [Year.Month.Day] The speed can be paused, sped up, or slowed down. It can be slowed down to be similiar to the battles someone might prefer. If slowed down, the ships move slower on screen, the shots move slower, the day counter ticks slower. A slowed down battle in Distant Worlds can seem more epic if that's what someone prefers.
Basically, Distant Worlds is FUN!
I think that's what games should be; since games are entertainment. Of course, everyone has their own opinion of what is fun. To each his own.
Everyone is welcome to come see screen shots, videos, and ask questions on the Distant Worlds forum.
http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tt.asp?forumid=782 (forum)
http://www.matrixgames.com/products/379/details/Distant.Worlds (publisher site)
http://codeforce.co.nz/ (developer site)
Wish list:population centers beyond planetary(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Culture):Ships,Ring Orbitals,Sphere Orbitals,Ringworlds,Sphereworlds;ability to create & destroy planets,population centers,stars;AI competently using all advances & features.
RE: Aurora free game
IF I had the time I'd have loads of fun with this. Being an old gamer I remmeber when graphics where very thin on the ground in games and it all came down to imagination...old school....and the FUN I had back then playing certain games hasn't been beaten yet even with all these fancy graphics flying around...
So for me its a case of time...oh and my 19inch widescreen doesnt reach the resolution restriction.
The effort that has gone into this game is amazing....with the right funding I imagine automation could be implimented...
So for me its a case of time...oh and my 19inch widescreen doesnt reach the resolution restriction.
The effort that has gone into this game is amazing....with the right funding I imagine automation could be implimented...
RE: Aurora free game
http://aurora.pentarch.org/viewtopic.php?f=100&t=2187
.... Like Starfire Assistant, the whole reason for the existence of Aurora is to allow me to write after action reports.
Aurora is not intended to be a graphical game. It is aimed at those gamers with a lot of imagination who want a program that allows them to indulge that imagination. It provides a platform on which to build your own universe. In the past, my friends and myself spent many happy hours around a table with nothing more than pen, paper, funny dice and a shared imagination, or sat facing each across large paper maps with hundreds or thousands of die-cut counters. We didn't need to see Tiger Tanks firing shells into blasted buildings, trying to root out dug-in infantry, or a red dragon trying to burn a party of adventurers to cinders, or a fire-fight against barbarian aliens on a dead, ruined world. We had the framework of rules and we added the visuals ourselves. That is the type of gamer at which Aurora is aimed. In a sense, it is really a boardgame or a role-playing game that makes use of the power of computers to allow you to do a lot more than you could with pen and paper, or maps and counters....
.... Like Starfire Assistant, the whole reason for the existence of Aurora is to allow me to write after action reports.
Aurora is not intended to be a graphical game. It is aimed at those gamers with a lot of imagination who want a program that allows them to indulge that imagination. It provides a platform on which to build your own universe. In the past, my friends and myself spent many happy hours around a table with nothing more than pen, paper, funny dice and a shared imagination, or sat facing each across large paper maps with hundreds or thousands of die-cut counters. We didn't need to see Tiger Tanks firing shells into blasted buildings, trying to root out dug-in infantry, or a red dragon trying to burn a party of adventurers to cinders, or a fire-fight against barbarian aliens on a dead, ruined world. We had the framework of rules and we added the visuals ourselves. That is the type of gamer at which Aurora is aimed. In a sense, it is really a boardgame or a role-playing game that makes use of the power of computers to allow you to do a lot more than you could with pen and paper, or maps and counters....
Watched a documentary on beavers. Best dam documentary I've ever seen.